Five great Scots have been called up to represent Great Britain at the Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver from 13th to 20th March this year. For skip Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone and Tom Killen it will be second successive Paralympic representative honour and for Aileen Neilson and Jim Sellar it will be their first appearance on the greatest stage of disability winter sport. Team members and coaches have been working very hard over the past four years. They hope to go one better than the brilliant silver medal performance in Italy at the previous Winter Games when wheelchair curling was added to the programme for the first time.
Team GB competes as Scotland at the world wheelchair curling championships and their record to date is formidable. Bronze medals in 2002 and 2007 were surpassed by gold medals and the title of world champions at the championships of 2004 and 2005. Who can ever forget that exciting period when Scotland’s wheelchair curlers reigned supreme internationally and contributed so much to the development of the sport worldwide? Since that first appearance in 2006 in Torino the game has grown in status and popularity and the performance gap between the world’s leading teams has diminished considerably. Team GB is still at the cutting edge of performance development and as a well prepared leading world nation will be up there with the top teams in Canada. Head Coach Tom Pendreigh, and Sheila Swan as Assistant Coach/Team Manager, will be with Team GB once again and living every shot. They are a highly respected coaching team and have contributed so much the preparation of the selected squad. They will be supported by Performance Analyst, Simon Lovelock and Physiotherapist Kirsty Sinclair. Performance analysis is such an important aspect of modern curling and quality physiotherapy on demand is critical to player performance. The GB support staff is more than fit for purpose and highly regarded by all players. Michael Mc Creadie from Lochwinnoch and the Braehead Wheelchair CC is a rare breed of highly successful Scottish and British sportsmen. He is a GB Summer Games Paralympian for basketball where he has represented his country as a player and also as a coach. Michael also team managed the Scottish disability bowls team to third place in the team event at the last IBD World Bowls Championships in Australia. He has played a major role in his country’s success as a leading wheelchair curling nation for the past eight years. His skills as a player are obvious and his passion for the game is clear. His desire to encourage new players into the sport, demonstrate he has not lost his love for coaching. His major achievements to date are: World Championships 2004 and 2005 - Gold medal World Championships 2002 and 2007 – Bronze medal Paralympic Games 2006 – Silver medal Tom Killen is also an exceptionally talented all round sportsman who has represented GB at Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Fencing, table tennis and basketball were the wheelchair sports in which he excelled before he was introduced to curling in 2003. Tom’s wife Maggie was also a very successful Paralympic fencer. Tom was a member of the Scottish team that won the world title in 2005 and has been a “first pick” ever since. Quiet, unassuming and a supportive team player would sum up the big man from the capital city who is a member of Braehead Wheelchair CC. Tom also curls at Murrayfield. His major achievements to date are: British Championships 2004/5/6/7/ - First place World Championships 2005 – Gold medal Paralympic Games 2006 – Silver medal Angie Malone from Girvan and the Braehead Wheelchair CC has grown in confidence and ability as the sport has developed internationally during the past six years. Angie first represented Scotland at the World championships in Sursee in 2004 and since then she has been a permanent feature of Scottish and British international teams. Winning gold on home ice at Braehead in 2005 was special for the very passionate west of Scotland curler and paved the way for her selection for GB when curling was introduced to the Paralympic Games one year later. Like her two experienced team mates Angie is a keen all round sportswoman who has a love of travel and the outdoors in particular. Her selection for Canada is particularly pleasing and encouraging to others because of the health challenges she has faced recently. Angie demonstrates the strength of character required of a world class athlete. Her major achievements to date are: World Championships 2007 – Bronze medal World Championships 2004 and 2005 – Gold medal Paralympic Games 2006 – Silver medal Jim Sellar from Bellshill is a member of Braehead Wheelchair CC but he also curls at the Hamilton rink. Like most of his team mates he has achieved international honours in at least one other sport and it is in bowls that he has made his mark. In 1991 he was selected to represent GB in bowls in South Africa and was a key member of the Scottish pan disability bowls team that won third place in the team competition at the IBD World Championships in Australia in 2007. Jim is unique in that he excels in both wheelchair bowls and curling and can command a place in both national teams. First introduced to curling in 2002 he has represented his country overseas and at home on many occasions. Jim has a World Championships gold medal from Sursee in 2004 but Vancouver will be his first Paralympic representative honour. His major achievements to date are: British Championships 2004 and 2005 – First place World Championships 2004 – Gold medal World Championships 2002 and 2007 – Bronze medal Aileen Neilson from the Braehead Wheelchair CC is the least experienced of Team GB. In 2007 she was introduced to the Scottish team for the World Championships in Sweden and since then she has been a regular team member. In Sweden she had the honour of winning bronze in her first international. Like her team mates Aileen is an accomplished all rounder having represented her country in carriage driving in 2004. Aileen is a Primary School teacher and has taken special leave of absence to fulfil her dream of becoming a Paralympian. It has really paid paid off with her selection for Canada in March. Her major achievements to date are: Scottish and British Championships 2009 - Winner World Championships 2008 and 2009 – 5th and 7th World championships – 2007 Bronze medal All of Great Britain will be behind Tom and his team of five great Scots and we wish them well. Commitment, dedication and desire produce great champions and Team GB has these qualities in abundance . Wheelchair curling has never been stronger and SDS pays tribute to the staff team and players for all they have achieved to date. We shall be with you throughout your Canadian adventure and we know you will give of your best. Wheelchair curling has never been stronger internationally and SDS pays tribute to Scot Kate Caithness from Tayside as the IPC lead for her contribution to curling development at home and overseas.
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